Off Topic Politics Thread

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The thing I struggle to understand amongst the posts telling us that the NHS cannot work is that a mere 13 years ago it seemed to function reasonably well.

What changed over those years to take it from pretty much OK to a state where people tell me that it can no longer function?

Genuine question.

Vin
Think back to 1997, the last time the NHS was on it's arse. What did the 18 years prior to that, have in common with the last 13 years?

Incidentally, schools were crumbling then too, and the streets were full of homeless people, as they are now.
Just a wild guess but could it have been because the country was being run by a privileged entitled elite who were incompetent and corrupt?.
 
See I'd be all for a change (albeit a reduction rather than complete removal)here if the systems were completely separated but unfortunately they're not. Obviously there's the ambulance example that people on private care would still get access to if they needed it but it runs deeper than that.

If people use private health care then they should always use private health care. Too many people are happy to get initial consultations, preassessments etc through their private health care but then when it comes to having the actual surgery (which will cost much more/not always be covered) will have it on NHS where they've jumped the queue - this shouldn't be allowed imo and the entire pathway should be one or the other.

The other thing is that private hospitals who perform surgery should be forced to have critical care facilities on site in the event they are required. It's not right that someone in the private system can end up being sent to take up an NHS bed because the private sector won't pay for these facilities.

I know for a fact that this happens all the time in the Soton/Pompey areas. And while a bill may be sent (but not always, another NHS inefficiency!) it certainly doesn't cover everything such as the time it takes nurses away from other patients. It also doesn't make up for the fact it can lead to surgeries being cancelled for NHS patients who might need critical care.
The big mistake made when setting up the NHS in 1948 was to allow doctors to continue doing private practice as well as working in the NHS.

Correct me if I'm wrong but nowadays pretty much every healthcare professional in the private sector was originally trained in the NHS. Do the private sector contribute anything towards this?
 
Just a wild guess but could it have been because the country was being run by a privileged entitled elite who were incompetent and corrupt?.

Care to address any of the actual points made by anyone? Or you just gonna sit and snipe from the sidelines as usual?

Actually don't bother answering that. We all know the answer :)
 
The big mistake made when setting up the NHS in 1948 was to allow doctors to continue doing private practice as well as working in the NHS.

Correct me if I'm wrong but nowadays pretty much every healthcare professional in the private sector was originally trained in the NHS. Do the private sector contribute anything towards this?

Agree completely on the first part but on the second I can't say I'm knowledgeable on that I'm afraid.

I did hear from an old colleague recently though that some consultants were planning to use the upcoming strike days to do some private work. No way of knowing if its true or not but it wouldn't surprise me.
 
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Care to address any of the actual points made by anyone? Or you just gonna sit and snipe from the sidelines as usual?

Actually don't bother answering that. We all know the answer :)

Yeah, think that was another dig at me (PEE). Hope he is ok with the current storms over the Netherlands :emoticon-0148-yes:
 
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Care to address any of the actual points made by anyone? Or you just gonna sit and snipe from the sidelines as usual?

Actually don't bother answering that. We all know the answer :)
I've made the points I've wanted to make regarding the rundown of public services in the UK under successive tory governments along with the incompetence and corruption that's gone with it now I'll have a pop at who or whatever I chose.
 
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I've made the points I've wanted to make regarding the rundown of public services in the UK under successive tory governments along with the incompetence and corruption that's gone with it now I'll have a pop at who or whatever I chose.

Fair enough. What do you think of some of the points I made earlier?

Do you think it's acceptable for some staff to complete roughly 2 hours of work a day while getting paid for 7.5?

Do you think it's right that senior management will refuse to go down the disciplinary route because they don't want the hassle or to upset the person in question?

Do you think requesting more budget to go and recruit somebody to make up the shortfall of the person above is a good use of public funds?

Ive been in this exact situation. It's one of the reasons I left as the stress was making me genuinely unwell. I also know of dozens more cases which are exactly the same.

What do you think the government could do to address the above? What would a new government change to address it? Do you believe throwing money at it will improve the problem or make it worse by enabling it?

Look forward to your response.
 
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Yeah I agree with this, thanks for the nuanced post.

I do use private for the operation also, wouldn’t do it to queue jump as you say, and also know people who do this. Doesn’t sit right with me at all. And yep, private should do more catering for critical care, however feel if this started it would end up with the privatisation for the NHS, which I’m sure many folk don’t want to see.

I still think there is huge inefficiency in the NHS, and recall having a blood test at the hospital (weirdly my private paid for me to attend the hospital, no idea why), during CoVid. The system worked perfectly, no waiting time when checked in, in and out in 3 minutes. I can’t understand why things aren’t run in a more systematic way like this was. I get I am simplifying matters, but there is credence in it.
The concern would be that critical care on private sites would be one short step from private A&E. Where people with insurance would get ambulances first. Now I guess if there were a separate set of ambulances for these places. But there is already a shortage of paramedics. I don’t think even america has private ambulances. Although you’re charged for it all there and insurance covers it. But I still think they take you to general A&E sites
 
Fair enough. What do you think of some of the points I made earlier?

Do you think it's acceptable for some staff to complete roughly 2 hours of work a day while getting paid for 7.5?

Do you think it's right that senior management will refuse to go down the disciplinary route because they don't want the hassle or to upset the person in question?

Do you think requesting more budget to go and recruit somebody to make up the shortfall of the person above is a good use of public funds?

Ive been in this exact situation. It's one of the reasons I left as the stress was making me genuinely unwell. I also know of dozens more cases which are exactly the same.

What do you think the government could do to address the above? What would a new government change to address it? Do you believe throwing money at it will improve the problem or make it worse by enabling it?

Look forward to your response.
Are you implying that, if it did/does happen, it happens throughout the NHS? I'd like to hear from other former or current healthcare professionals on here or elsewhere to corroborate your story.
 
The concern would be that critical care on private sites would be one short step from private A&E. Where people with insurance would get ambulances first. Now I guess if there were a separate set of ambulances for these places. But there is already a shortage of paramedics. I don’t think even america has private ambulances. Although you’re charged for it all there and insurance covers it. But I still think they take you to general A&E sites

Yeah I said partly this in another post I think, around it leads to privatisation.

Im not sure of the answer really, but I do think the good ‘ol NHS needs a proper review. Top to bottom.
 
In 53 years on this planet I can honestly say I have never had a positive experience of the Police. I don't need them often, but when I have they have been uninterested and inept at dealing with my issues.

Not being paranoid, but I think my surname and skin colour doesn't help.

The last time I called them was over a neighbour row (mentioned on here before) and rather than investigate the neighbours for their comments caught on my CCTV, they thought it would be a good idea for me to 'ignore them perhaps as there is nothing we can really do' and maybe put a fence up between us so I wouldn't see them.....

EDIT: Yes, it was a middle aged white policeman who 'helped' me
Just a thought, but how much training time do trainee police get? 12 weeks?
 
Are you implying that, if it did/does happen, it happens throughout the NHS? I'd like to hear from other former or current healthcare professionals on here or elsewhere to corroborate your story.

If? Why would I make it up?

I can't speak in certain terms for the entire country but can for the two trusts I worked in (Soton & Portsmouth) across multiple departments and I have a friend in a third (Dorset) who has had exactly the same issues.

Seeing as UHS is in the top 10 performing Trusts in the country it's not exactly a huge leap to suggest that these are issues not isolated to a small part of the country.

Honestly I think people would be horrified if they realised just how bad it is in some areas. I've not even gone into how new jobs are created from thin air just to give popular people promotions.

I'm not suggesting this is every single manager in every single department of course. But the problem you have is that by things being this way the ones who do genuinely want to improve things end up becoming disheartened and leaving.
 
Fair enough. What do you think of some of the points I made earlier?

Do you think it's acceptable for some staff to complete roughly 2 hours of work a day while getting paid for 7.5?

Do you think it's right that senior management will refuse to go down the disciplinary route because they don't want the hassle or to upset the person in question?

Do you think requesting more budget to go and recruit somebody to make up the shortfall of the person above is a good use of public funds?

Ive been in this exact situation. It's one of the reasons I left as the stress was making me genuinely unwell. I also know of dozens more cases which are exactly the same.

What do you think the government could do to address the above? What would a new government change to address it? Do you believe throwing money at it will improve the problem or make it worse by enabling it?

Look forward to your response.


You find these problems in almost all large organisations. It was certainly widespread in Royal Mail, and on the Railway. The answer is pretty simple really; train and empower middle managers to do their job properly, which means ensuring they are not afraid to performance-manage the staff they are responsible for. Managing people is just about the hardest thing you can be asked to do in any organisation, so it’s important to ensure that the people tasked with these responsibilities are themselves properly trained, and properly backed when making difficult decisions (like disciplining poor performers, or managing freeloaders out of the business).
 
You find these problems in almost all large organisations. It was certainly widespread in Royal Mail, and on the Railway. The answer is pretty simple really; train and empower middle managers to do their job properly, which means ensuring they are not afraid to performance-manage the staff they are responsible for. Managing people is just about the hardest thing you can be asked to do in any organisation, so it’s important to ensure that the people tasked with these responsibilities are themselves properly trained, and properly backed when making difficult decisions (like disciplining poor performers, and managing freeloaders out of the business).

In my experience mate it's not middle managers which are the problem. It's the senior managers not willing to back these people when they do put all this work in.

Those people then end up giving up and either leaving or becoming part of that culture, in which case down the line they get promoted and the cycle begins again.

Managing freeloaders out of the business is the exact issue. It doesn't happen nearly enough and it's borderline impossible to get sacked from the NHS outside of gross misconduct.
 
In my experience mate it's not middle managers which are the problem. It's the senior managers not willing to back these people when they do put all this work in.

Those people then end up giving up and either leaving or becoming part of that culture, in which case down the line they get promoted and the cycle begins again.

Managing freeloaders out of the business is the exact issue. It doesn't happen nearly enough and it's borderline impossible to get sacked from the NHS outside of gross misconduct.


Yeah, that was the same in Royal Mail too. What worked then, was a change of management culture from the top. Real leadership is rare in any walk of life, including football clubs. How many Alex Fergusons do you meet in any business? Not that many, but they do exist.
 
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Yeah, that was the same in Royal Mail too. What worked then, was a change of management culture from the top. Real leadership is rare in any walk of life, including football clubs. How many Alex Fergusons do you meet in any business? Not that many, but they do exist.

Which brings me back to one of my original points. One of the biggest causes of NHS inefficiency is the culture that's set in which allows poor performance to fester and kills the enthusiasm of those staff members who are trying to improve things.

It's why I think it needs reform and that throwing money at it, while obviously helping in some areas, won't fix the underlying issues and make a long term improvement.
 
Yeah, that was the same in Royal Mail too. What worked then, was a change of management culture from the top. Real leadership is rare in any walk of life, including football clubs. How many Alex Fergusons do you meet in any business? Not that many, but they do exist.
It was the same in teaching. Incompetent teachers were transferred to other schools on protected salaries!
 
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